Pill dispensers



Oct- 27, 1964 R. T. GRI-:GG ETAL PILL DISPENSERS Filed April lO, 1963 United States Patent 3,154,217 PILL DISPENSERS Randolph T. Gregg and Robert J. Gregg, both of 18150 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Apr. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 272,053 S Claims. (Cl. 221-256) Our invention relates to improvements in dispensing containers.

An object of our invention is to provide a simple, eiiicient container or receptacle for containing medicinal tablets, pills or the like, which is compact and which will dispense said tablets, pills, etc. individually.

A further object of our invention is to provide a container of the type described which is provided with means so that the pills may not be accidentally discharged while carrying the same.

Another object of our invention is to provide a container of the type described which can be easily refilled.

Another object of our invention is to provide a container having a minimum of pants, easily assembled, inexpensive to manufacture and highly eiiicient in use.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved dispensing container of the type referred to which can be constructed of relatively light material, such as molded plastic, or other like material, and can, if desired, be formed of transparent material wherefor the contents can be easily ascertained.

Other objects of our invention and the invention itself will become more readily apparent by reference to the following figures of drawing and appended description.

In which figures of drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the improved dispensing container of our invention, in -a locked assembled position, certain underlying portions being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is an edge view taken from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to the side view of FIG. 1 being taken from an opposite side;

FIG. 5 is a View showing the dispenser of FIG. 1 in a. rotated and dispensing position, one tablet being released;

FIG. 6 is a top View of the sliding cover of the dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the cover of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a View taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the several component parts of the device in exploded relation.

The pill dispenser of our invention is shown as comprising a housing 10, generally trapezoidal in form, having a pair of spaced, preferably dat, relatively wide parallel side walls 11 and 12 having angled upwardly extending edges provided with outwardly extending flanges 13, 14; a pair of spaced, preferably flat, relatively narrow parallel end walls 15, 16 and a preferably dat bottom connecting wall 45 integral therewith. Spaced from the end walls 15, 16 and integrally secured to the side walls 11, 12 and bottom wall 45 is a preferably hat vertically disposed partition 45 of a height preferably less than the height of the relatively short end wall 15, dividing the housing into two sections.

It will be noted .that the end wall of the upwardly open housing 10 is provided with a longitudinally extending open end slot 17, adapted to have locking means 50 slidably associated therewith, as later hereinafter described.

A pill-container member 20, as best illustrated in FIG. 9, is adapted to be disposed within and to form with a section of the housing a reservoir chamber. It is pivotally fulcrumed about the partition 46 in the housing 10 3,1542 17 Patented Oct. 27, 1964 ice and is provided with a preferably at bottom ange or wall 21 adapted to lie in aligned parallel spaced relation to the bottom wall 45 of said housing in one operative position (see FIG. 1) and in another operative position (see FIG. 5) to be disposed in angled relation thereto; in said position an end wall 24 of the container 20 is disposed adjacent and preferably iiush with a portion of the end wall 16 of the housing 10. The container member 20 is provided with a at relatively wide side wall 22 disposed at right angles to and at one side of the bottom 21, and the container 20 has an open face on the opposite side thereof. The container member 20 is provided with relatively narrow end walls or flanges 23, 24 on opposite sides of the wall 22 connected by the bottom wall 21. The end wall 23 is preferably provided with a generally Z-shaped upper end portion or projection 23 which extends above the common wall 22 and a generally vertical leg 23 preferably connects the said Z-shaped end to the bottom wall 21 of the container 2i). The end wall 24 at the opposite side of the wall 23 is preferably provided with a generally inverted I@shaped or pocket portion 25 which extends beyond the upper edge of the common wall 22 and above the projection 23' and the wall 24 is provided with a preferably generally leg 24 integral therewith which is integrally joined with the bottom wall 21.

The Z-shaped projection 23 of the end wall 23 is adapted to seat upon and fulcrum about the upper edge of the partition 46 in the housing 10 when the chamber is disposed therein, as best shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the upper edge of the pocket portion 25 of the pill dispenser chamber 20 has an angled upper leg 26 having a relatively short downwardly extending angled edge 27. The web portion 2S of the pocket normally lies flush with and parallel to an upper inner portion of the relatively long end wall 16 of the housing 10, as shown in FIG. 1, when the container 20 is in its nondispensing position within the housing.

It is to be noted that a slide cover 30 of generally channel-shaped form has a yoke 31 adapted to overlie the open end of the housing 1G and downwardly extending flanges 32, 33 disposed over the hanged edges thereof. The ilanges 32, 33 are preferably provided with inwardly extending shoulders 32', 33', which form guides 40, 41 to receive the anges 13, 14 of the housing 10. The slide 30 is adapted to have reciprocating sliding movement relative to the upper edges of the housing 10 and its movement is restricted normally by a lug or ear 34, formed integral with and projecting outwardly from the flanges 13 of the side wall 11 of said housing as shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 9, and projecting through a notch 35 in the cover 30.

The lug 34 acts as a stop limiting movement of the slide or cover 30 when the dispenser is in use. (See FIG. 5.)

It will be noted that the side wall 11 of the housing 10 acts as a side wall for the dispensing container 20 disposed adjacent thereto, forming therewith a reservoir space. The end walls 23, 24 of the dispensing chamber 26 extend in closely spaced relation thereto and hence pills, tablets, and the like, may be carried or stored therein for dispensing.

A lock slide 5i?, formed of plastic or like spring material, having a relatively short, straight flat leg 51 and a relatively long inwardly bent leg 52 integrally Secured and held in spaced relation thereto by an intermediately disposed relatively narrow thickened center or web portion 53, is adapted to be so disposed over the slotted portion of the end wall 15 of the housing tha-t the leg 51 is disposed exteriorly of said wall, the web rides in the slot and the leg 52 is adapted to frictionally engage the inner face of the end wall 15 in portions thereof adjacent the slot 17, and when the web 53 of the lock slide 40 is reciprocally moved in the slot 17 in said end wall 15 upwardly, the upper edge 52' thereof contacts an upper and outwardly projecting leg 54 of the Z-shaped projection 23 of the dispenser or container preventing further fulcruming thereof and retains the member 20 in its reset or normal position (FIG. l); thus any accidental dislodgment of pills, etc. from the reservoir, etc. is prevented. When it is desired to dispense a single unit, pill or tablet, the pill dispenser is preferably either turned upside down, or sideways, as shown in FlG. 5, a pill, etc., if one or more are not previously seated therein, is captured within the =Cshaped end 25 of the chamber, the lock slide 50 may then, or previously have been, reciprocatingly moved to its lowermost position, as shown in FIG. 5, the web thereof being seated against the lowermost edge of the slot and limiting further downward movement thereof; the slide cover 30 may next, if it has not previously been so moved, be moved to its position shown in FIG. the dispensing chamber may be pivotally disposed in the position shown in FIG. 5 and the pill, etc. in the C-shaped portion can readily then ,be dispensed.

It should be noted that the dispenser will dispense a pill, etc. therefrom, if one is present in the C-shaped portion of the container 20, without the necessity of rotating the container, if the cover 30 and lock slide 50 are in their relative position shown in FIG. 5.

It will be noted thatthe housing is provided at its upper edges with relatively thicker edge portions at the lower edge of its angled upper surfaces and with relatively thinner edges at the angled upper surfaces thereof, as shown in FIG. 9, and thus the cover 3i) can easily be withdrawn from the relatively narrow upper edge portions thereof when manual pressure is exerted inwardly on the wall 11, which is preferably relatively exible, depressing the upper edge thereof to withdraw the projection 34 from the notch 35. The flanges 32, 33 of the slide cover 30, in such event, can ride easily over the flange portions 12, 13 of the housing 10 and the cover easily be removed from the housing to permit refilling of the chamber, etc.

Ribs or ridges 55 are preferably provided on the upper surfaces of the yoke 31 of the slide cover to assist in manual movement thereof.

It is to be observed that the upper wall of the pocket combines with the slide cover to form a complete cover for the reservoir chamber in the containers locked nondispensing position, thus avoiding any accidental spillage of the contents while carrying the same; and that, in such position, the slide lock moves the projection of the container member against the slide cover to force the same into abutting engagement with an edge of the pocket upper wall to atie-rd said coverage.

It is further to be noted that the improved pill, etc. dispensing container of our invention is preferably constructed of transparent material, of plastic or the like, and that the contents can thus be easily ascertained at any time, and the presence of pills, tablets, etc. in the dispensing pocket ascertained also, prior to dispensing the same; that the walls of the housing, while form sustaining, are preferably suiciently flexible to permit manual depression thereof to enable the slide cover to be easily removed, as above described, from its association with the container, for easy refill or replacement of the pills, etc.

Although we have described our invention in connection with a preferred embodiment of our invention, we are aware that numerous extension departures might be made therein, such as changes in material, size, etc., without departing from the spirit of our invention and the scope of lthe appended claims. What we claim is:

l. A dispensing container for pills comprising a housing, a container member positioned in the said housing and forming with said housing a reservoir space, said housing and said member being open at their upper ends, the housing having a pair of relatively wide side walls, a

pair of relatively narrow end walls, a bottom wall interconnecting the said walls, a partition disposed between said end walls and secured to said side walls and dividing the housing into two sections, the container member having a relatively wide side wall, a pair of relatively narrow end walls and a bottom wall interconnecting the said member walls, one end wall of the said container member having a pocket and the other end wall having a projection, said container member pivoting about the said partition whereby the said member is fulcrumed on said partition and adapted to dispose the pocket upwardly out of the housing to dispense individual units of pills, contained in the said reservoir.v

2. A dispensing container for pills comprising a housing, a container member positioned in the said housing and forming with said housing a reservoir space, said housing and said member being open at their upper ends, the housing having a pair of relatively wide side walls, a pair of relatively narrow end walls, a bottom wall interconnecting the said Walls, a partition disposed between said end walls and secured to said side walls and dividing the housing into two sections, the container member having a relatively wide side wall, a pair of relatively narrow end walls and a bottoni wall interconnecting the said member walls, one end wall of the said container member having a generally inverted C-shaped pocket at one side thereof, and the other end wall having a generally Z-shaped projection, said container member pivoting about the said partition whereby the said member is fulcrumed on said partition and adapted to dispose the pocket upwardly out of the housing to dispense individual units of pills, contained in the said reservoir.

3. A dispensing container for pills as defined in claim l having a yoke member slidably engaging the side walls adjacent the upper edges of the housing and adapted to form with a wall of the pocket of the container member a cover for said reservoir space.

4. A dispensing container for pills as defined in claim l wherein an end wall of the housing is provided with a longitudinally extending slot, a longitudinally extending locking means positioned in said slot, said lockingmeans having members projecting over the inner and outer faces of said end wall and having functional engagement therewith, a portion of said locking means adapted to be slid-l ably projected upwardly `of the said wall and to abut the said projection to restrain pivotal movement thereof.

5. A dispensing container for pills as recited in claim 1 wherein the Vupper edges of the side walls of the housing are provided with outwardly extending flanges, a slide cover having downwardly extending lianges, guideways formed therein, the flanges of said side walls being seated inV said guideways whereby the cover may be slidably moved with respect to the housing.

6. A dispensing container for pills and the like cornprising a housing, a container member positioned in said housing forming with said housing a reservoir space, said housing and said member being open at their upper ends, the housing having a pair of relatively wide side walls, a pair of relatively narrow end walls, a bottom wall interconnecting the said walls, a partition disposed between said end walls and secured to said side walls and dividing the housing into two sections, the container member having a relatively wide side wall, a pair of relatively narrow end walls and a bottom wall interconnecting said member walls, the side wall of the container member being in parallel spaced relation to a side wall of said housing and the end walls and bottom wall of said member and said housing and member side walls forming a housing space for holding pills and the like to be dispensed from the container, cover means adapted to be disposed over upper edges of the housing and forming a closure for said pill and -the'like housing. y

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein a projection is formed in one of the side walls of said housing adjacent its 'upper edge adapted to project through said cover means, a notch provided in said cover means, said Withdrawn from the notch for easy removal of the cover projection extending into said notch, said cover means means IOIH the housing- `having sliding movement with respect to each of said References Cited in the me of this patent housing side wail'upner edges and restricted in said move- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS mem by safd prodecnon 887,747 Anderson May 19, 190s 8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said 2,086,296 Gilbert July 6 1937 housing Side Walls are OIIIlSd Of eXble material Whlev2,370,997 Rudolph Mar. 6 1945 by upon exertion of manual pressure thereon, said walls 2,645,335 Waber gt a1 July 14I 1953 are adapted to be inwardly depressed and said projection 10 2,715,485 Bernhardt Aug. 16, 1955 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR PILLS COMPRISING A HOUSING, A CONTAINER MEMBER POSITIONED IN THE SAID HOUSING AND FORMING WITH SAID HOUSING A RESERVOIR SPACE, SAID HOUSING AND SAID MEMBER BEING OPEN AT THEIR UPPER ENDS, THE HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF RELATIVELY WIDE SIDE WALLS, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY NARROW END WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL INTERCONNECTING THE SAID WALLS, A PARTITION DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID END WALLS AND SECURED TO SAID SIDE WALLS AND DIVIDING THE HOUSING INTO TWO SECTIONS, THE CONTAINER MEMBER HAVING A RELATIVELY WIDE SIDE WALL, A PAIR OF RELATIVELY NARROW END WALLS AND A BOTTOM WALL INTERCONNECTING THE SAID MEMBER WALLS, ONE END WALL OF THE SAID CONTAINER MEMBER HAVING A POCKET AND THE OTHER END WALL HAVING A PROJECTION, SAID CONTAINER MEMBER PIVOTING ABOUT THE SAID PARTITION WHEREBY THE SAID MEMBER IS FULCRUMED ON SAID PARTITION AND ADAPTED TO DISPOSE THE POCKET UPWARDLY OUT OF THE HOUSING TO DISPENSE INDIVIDUAL UNITS OF PILLS, CONTAINED IN THE SAID RESERVOIR. 